Final Confessions

The year is almost up, that's another year just following the same routine. For as long as I can remember, I have to be the good Chinese daughter; wake up, go to school, go to work, go home, homework and studying on weekdays and on weekends work and studying. On occasion, I may have a chance to go out, sometimes, but ONLY if it doesn't interfere with my studies of course. No distractions, just focus, always have my mind on my academics and my future career. That is the life of Mei Ming.

You'd think by the time I had turned twenty I would have gather some independence, it doesn't seem that way, my mom met my dad at eighteen and married him a couple years later, she went straight from home to living with him. So, I'm still at home living with my parents with no "boyfriend" to "save me".

I walked into work today, ready for another shift at my sanctuary from home, The Book Swap. I've been working here for over two years and I love it, I get paid to be around my favourite things ever, books. I love to read, it's really my only retreat from all the hectics, pressures and expectations of my family.

"Hey Mimi!"

And then there's her too. Katiana, my best friend.

"Kati!"

I rushed over to greet her with a hug.

"How's it going?" She asked me.

"Alright, I'm surviving. How's thing on your end?"

"Eh, ready for the new year and to be refreshed. Anyways, I'm going to go put my stuff down, see you in a bit."

I watched as she walked away to the staff room in back. I met her when I started working here and we clicked right away. She was reading the newly released Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard. I had just finished reading Red Queen and loved it, I had to talk to someone. We started to talk about it and she said I could borrow it after she was done and from there we had a book exchange constantly back and forth with the new books we've discovered.

We've recently gotten so much closer that I've wondered if it was becoming more. I would like it to... Though she is consistently sending me mixed messages. I want to push forward and see where this goes but I'm afraid of what may happen if I pursue this. I mean she's great, she's smart and cute and super nice, she's always been there for me when I went through a rough patch. But what can I offer her in exchange? Sure I'm smart too, but there isn't really much more to me, I work and go to school all the time, I don't exist much besides within the roles of being a daughter, student and employee.

How can I even be honest with Kati if I can't even do so with my own parents? They are constantly telling about what a great guy Alexi is and how great the Wong's are, hinting at us to get together, but he's my oldest friend and we are more like brother and sister than anything.

Kati was talking to a guy about the newest Cassandra Clare novel, Queen of Air and Darkness, the last book of The Dark Artifices trilogy. With the ginormous cliff hanger she left at the end of Lord of Shadows, the new book was a must-read to find out what happens to our poor babies in the upcoming events that would be thrown at them.

I smile at how happy she is and look down to check over what I have left to do before the year comes to an end.

To Do Before 2019:
- CONFESS TO KATI
- Set up holiday display in the shop ✓
- Study for finals ✓
- Christmas shopping:
- Mom ✓
- Dad ✓
- Brother ✓
- KATI
- Holly ✓
- Acacia ✓
- Jordin ✓
- Alexi
- Confirm New Year's Potluck with Friends
- Bake for ↑